Would you switch daycares to save 7K per year?

[Anonymous]

If you were very happy at in-home daycare, with a provider that you trusted 100% and that loved your child, would you to switch to a fed child care center (with great reputation) to save the money? The In-home daycare cost does not decrease with age and would be paying preschool rate at center. I am so torn.

[Anonymous]

7k a year? How heavily subsidized is your fed center?

[Anonymous]

7k means different things for different families. It would not be a primary consideration for me. I think more about what is better for my child and what is more convenient for me.

[Anonymous]

I'd do it. That extra $7k in a 529 at a young age is going to be a real boost.

[Anonymous]

How old is your child? Many kids leave in-home daycares by 3-4 anyway to start preK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old is your child? Many kids leave in-home daycares by 3-4 anyway to start preK.

Between 2.5 and 3. Would be leaving in-home for preschool next September anyways (so would be leaving the in home a year early)
It’s an NIH daycare, not sure how-if it is subsidized. At the in home we are still paying what is equivalent to the infant rate at the center.
We have two kids with childcare costs, so $7,000 is not insignificant for us. I would pay for it in a heartbeat if I didn’t have a good other option, but I have heard only good things about the center, which makes the decision tricker

[Anonymous]

The NIH daycares are supposed to be quite good. Given that info, yes I would switch.

[Anonymous]

Heck yeah!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How old is your child? Many kids leave in-home daycares by 3-4 anyway to start preK.

Between 2.5 and 3. Would be leaving in-home for preschool next September anyways (so would be leaving the in home a year early)
It’s an NIH daycare, not sure how-if it is subsidized. At the in home we are still paying what is equivalent to the infant rate at the center.
We have two kids with childcare costs, so $7,000 is not insignificant for us. I would pay for it in a heartbeat if I didn’t have a good other option, but I have heard only good things about the center, which makes the decision tricker

I think you should do it, then. Sounds like you have a younger kid coming up behind so the savings will be bigger over the long run?

[Anonymous]

No. Especially right now how big is the in-home daycare? It sounds like it would be safer than a larger daycare. So then also you would switch this year and then switch again? I would stick with what you know you like for the next year. Then you can switch to preschool next year

[Anonymous]

Yes, but we never used an in home so I haven’t had the experience. I always felt safer ata center, assuming there was more oversight.

[Anonymous]

Do you have a younger kid in the same in home? Or do you have an older kid?

Having. both kids in the same place would be part of my decision, both because of convenience and because of covid. But if that's already not possible, then I'd probably move.

[Anonymous]

There's not a lot of evidence on the safety with respect to Covid of a center vs a child care home. Smaller group (the home, more likely) is probably safer than larger group (the center) all else being equal, but we don't know by how much.

We had our child in a home daycare temporarily and at drop off time multiple parents would crowd into the small room if they arrived at the same time. It was great otherwise, but when our center opened back up we moved him back for various reasons (not Covid). At the center parents do not enter and practice physical distancing outside per the rules established by the center. I think there are multiple factors at play. With all this uncertainty, and the fact that children are low risk for Covid, I would not consider Covid as a central factor in decision making unless it seemed really egregious (like 50 kids on a room). However if there was someone high risk at my home, then Covid-related safety would be a bigger factor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's not a lot of evidence on the safety with respect to Covid of a center vs a child care home. Smaller group (the home, more likely) is probably safer than larger group (the center) all else being equal, but we don't know by how much.

We had our child in a home daycare temporarily and at drop off time multiple parents would crowd into the small room if they arrived at the same time. It was great otherwise, but when our center opened back up we moved him back for various reasons (not Covid). At the center parents do not enter and practice physical distancing outside per the rules established by the center. I think there are multiple factors at play. With all this uncertainty, and the fact that children are low risk for Covid, I would not consider Covid as a central factor in decision making unless it seemed really egregious (like 50 kids on a room). However if there was someone high risk at my home, then Covid-related safety would be a bigger factor.

I wouldn't assume that bigger center = bigger group. A lot of centers have basically carved themselves up into small groups that have no contact with each other and don't share teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How old is your child? Many kids leave in-home daycares by 3-4 anyway to start preK.

Between 2.5 and 3. Would be leaving in-home for preschool next September anyways (so would be leaving the in home a year early)
It’s an NIH daycare, not sure how-if it is subsidized. At the in home we are still paying what is equivalent to the infant rate at the center.
We have two kids with childcare costs, so $7,000 is not insignificant for us. I would pay for it in a heartbeat if I didn’t have a good other option, but I have heard only good things about the center, which makes the decision tricker

If you'd be leaving the in-home in a year anyway, then, yes, I'd absolutely make the switch now. I'm biased in that our kids have gone to a center (and I work at NIH, and have heard great things about the different programs), but if you'll make the switch anyway, why not do it now and save money? It sounds like you're overpaying for the in-home.